Neil Peart’s opinion on Genesis and Phil Collins

Besides being one of the biggest Pop stars of the past decades, Phil Collins is also considered one of the most important Progressive Rock drummers and was an important part of the Genesis sound.

They were an inspiration for many incredible musicians who came later, like the late legendary Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart, who is considered by many to be the greatest drummer of all time, often alongside John Bonham. During his career, Peart shared his opinion on many of his peers, including Phil Collins.

What was Neil Peart’s opinion on Genesis and Phil Collins

Neil Peart was a big fan of Genesis and had the chance to see the band in the early 70s when they already had Phil Collins on drums, who he mentioned as an “enormous influence” on his drumming. “Phil Collins was an enormous influence on my drumming in the ’70s. Thus remains a part of my playing even today. His recorded drum parts with Genesis and Brand X in those years were technically accomplished, yet so musical – even lyrical. (Also) his rhythmic patterns were woven into the intricacy of the music. While lending a smooth, fluid pulse to the songs and extended instrumentals.”

“His fills were imaginative and exciting, alive with energy and variety. While the refined technique was always in the service of the music. Even within those fills, Phil applied a jazz drummer’s sense of dynamics. Which also guided his ensemble playing, and inspired me to try to incorporate that sensibility into my own triple-f approach. Plus, his drums sounded so good. Good-sounding drums are always the result of a good-sounding drummer, and speak of the player’s touch.”

He continued:

“Phil’s combination of that quality and the natural drive of his playing produced truly melodic-sounding drum parts. Flowing and musical. One outstanding piece of work that reflected all of those qualities was the Genesis album ‘Selling England By The Pound’, from ’73,” Neil Peart said.

During the same conversation, Neil recalled that he was lucky enough to have seen Genesis live in 1974 just before he joined Rush. The band was promoting their latest album at the time “Selling England By The Pound” at the Century Theater in Buffalo, New York. “It was simply a galvanising performance, by him (Phil) and all of that excellent band. The music from that night’s show echoed in my head long after. While Phil’s vocal performance on ‘More Fool Me’, was a harbinger of a whole other career to come,” Neil Peart said in an interview with Rhythm magazine in 2011.

That album was one of Peart’s favorite ones and he once told Music Radar that it was “masterpiece of drumming” “I think Selling England By The Pound is an enduring masterpiece of drumming. Beautiful drumming, lovely sound, and the arrangements, I think they really nailed the best of what that band as an entity could have done with that album” he said.

Neil Peart said he learned a lot from Phil Collins’ drumming on Genesis records

Although he is considered by many the greatest drummer who ever existed, Neil Peart practiced a lot to reach the level he achieved. Curiously, the late musician once explained that he learned a lot from Genesis records, including how time signatures were created. “I remember figuring out some of Genesis’ things. That was my first understanding of how time signatures were created. And I’d hear people talking about 7, and 5 and if they played it for me I could usually play along. But I didn’t understand. I finally got to understand the principle of the common denominator.”

“Once I understood it numerically I found it really easy to pick up the rhythm. Then you take on something just as a challenge, and turn it into a guitar solo in 1 3/8, and find a way to play that comfortably and make changes. As I would change dynamically through a 4/4 section. There would be certain ways that I would move it, try to apply those same elements to a complicated concept,” he told Modern Drummer magazine in 1980.

Genesis’ influence on Peart’s drumming can be heard on Rush’s famous song “Time Stand Still”, in which the drum intro was inspired by the British band. “That’s an interesting story about those opening fills. Because I heard, I think it was an old Genesis record, where there is a timbale fill. Really quick triplets across the time. I thought it was so cool. I worked on it, worked on it, worked on it. And got it down, which is exactly that (you hear in the song).”

He continued:

“Then I was working in the same studio in London where that was recorded. I mentioned to one of the engineers. He said: ‘Oh yeah, we slowed the tape down for that’ (laughs). So it’s an interesting case. I tried to reproduce something that wasn’t even human to begin with. It was something that was done with a little extra help. But the ambition and the inspiration, because I thought it was so exciting. I wanted to learn how to do that. I spent a lot of time trying to do that. So it’s just an ironic twist on the end of that effort,” Neil Peart said in an interview with Hudson Music in 2012 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage). “Time Stand Still” was released on Rush’s 12th studio album “Hold Your Fire”, released in 1987. It was the first track Peart wrote for that album.

The two funny encounters Neil Peart had with Collins

At least until 2011, when Peart spoke with Rhythm magazine, he hadn’t had the chance to properly meet Phil Collins. However, he had two funny encounters with him without Collins knowing. One happened before he became famous and the other after he was already a respected drummer. The first was in the late 70s, when he visited London while recording with Rush and saw Collins in the same bookstore he was in, in Soho. The second time was in Geneva, Switzerland, in the 90s, when they were in the same restaurant, but Peart didn’t want to bother him.

“I find it amusing that despite not meeting ‘formally’, Phil and I have actually encountered each other face-to-face, unknown to him, on two occasions, almost 20 years apart. In the late ’70s, I was recording with Rush in London. One day (I) popped into a science-fiction bookstore in Soho called Dark They Were And Golden Eyed. At the door, I stood back to hold it for another patron. (It was) a bearded little guy in flat cap and overcoat, on his way out.”

Neil Peart continued:

“Our eyes met for a moment, we nodded courteously. I recognised Phil in his hirsute ‘Artful Dodger’ period. (It was) just before he was thrust into the frontman position with Genesis that would so change his life. From modestly successful drummer to immense international popstar.”

The second time the two musicians were in the same place was in the 90s in Geneva, Switzerland. Peart had just arrived at the hotel after a motorcycle journey he took with a friend across Italy, Tunisia and the Sahara Desert. They went to have dinner and, coincidentally, Phil Collins was also there, eating a few tables away. But Peart decided not to bother the drummer and didn’t say hello.

Later on, however, they had the chance to talk on the phone, since Peart invited him to be part of his Buddy Rich tribute album “Burning for Buddy” (1994). Collins was also a huge fan of the legendary drummer but was already busy and couldn’t take part in the record. A few years later, however, Collins organized a concert where he performed with Buddy Rich’s big band. He had the idea to do that after hearing Peart’s record.